The Prince of Flowers

The Prince of Wales has always been passionate about nature and his work on the environment encompasses global issues. But a little closer to home there’s nothing the heir to the throne likes more than a potter in his gardens and as spring attempts to get under way (Storm Gareth aside), the prince has begun his now traditional practice of sharing lots of photos of his flowers.

Thanks to the rise of social media, we are often treated to glimpses of the royal gardens on the official Clarence House accounts. This week, Charles was celebrating the joy of spring flowers as an image of the prince among the snowdrops and crocuses at his home at Highgrove House win Gloucestershire was posted.

https://twitter.com/ClarenceHouse/status/1104407391590854658

Standing in front of trees still bare from the winter just gone, the prince was snapped surveying a carpet of purple and white blooms with the caption ‘spring has arrived’. It came as Highgrove starts gearing up for its summer season. Charles and Camilla open the gardens of their Cotswolds home to the public every year on selected dates between April and September. And you have to be organised about this spot of royal sight seeing as booking ahead is required.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuTnCIlgqA9/

It’s not the first floral share of 2019 from the prince, however. At the end of February, as unseasonably mild weather hit the UK, Clarence House shared images of its magnolia trees bursting into bloom beneath blue skies. And we could well expect flowers every week from the Prince of Wales in 2019 as at the end of last year, Highgrove itself launched an official Instagram page which is already filled with images of the famous gardens there and we’re not really even through winter.

This picturesque path is bringing success of its own for Clarence House as the spring time images are easily the most liked on the official accounts so far this year. In an age when image is everything and social media wields an influence many are still trying to understand, flowers are bringing a power all of their own for the Prince of Wales.